Between 2016 and 2018, the Rapid Re-Housing project piloted the Housing First concept, which was new to the Czech Republic at the time, on a target group of 50 families with children. The families were rented municipal apartments in Brno and were then provided with intensive support in settling in. The support was provided by the IQ Roma Servis organisation.
The pilot project also included verification of the project’s impact in the form of an impact evaluation 6 and 12 months after moving in, using a randomised controlled trial (RCT) method, which works with an intervention and control group and compares the two groups. Of the 50 intervention families, 48 retained the municipal housing provided after 12 months, and the evaluation further demonstrated positive impacts on housing stability and quality, caregiver security in housing, psychosocial stress, the health of parents and children and their sleep, and the institutionalisation of children.
The current study monitored the effects of the intervention after five years, also using the RCT method and with the help of an analysis of administrative data from relevant institutions. Similar quantitative measurements of the medium-term impacts of Housing First interventions are rare in the Czech Republic and also contribute to the international debate, as studies evaluating impacts over such a time horizon are relatively rare abroad and often focus on individuals rather than families with children. As part of the research, extensive structured interviews were conducted with 85 families from the control group and 46 families from the intervention group.
Based on the results of the interviews, averages and relative values for each group were calculated and compared. At the same time, the results were compared with the results after 12 months. After adding administrative data, time series were created where possible and regression analysis was performed.
Read here. (in Czech)